BBQ Chicken Salad

Part of planting lettuce is that you put it in the garden so you can eat healthier.  It's an incentive to make salads.  Otherwise, it's just a bush.

The problem is that salads can get fattening really fast.  The biggest culprit is the salad dressing itself.  Then there's anything fried you throw on top or mix in.  Pretty soon, you're well over 600 calories and climbing.  This is why you rarely see a salad on the lower calorie menu in a restaurant.

This salad isn't a whole lot better.  Ranch dressing, cheese, and avocado pretty much negate the raw veggies and skinless chicken.  Don't be deceived by "healthy fat" claims.  It's still fat and calories.  The best you can do is control the amount of the offending ingredients.  A light drizzle of dressing tastes just as intense as a puddle, and there are light ranch options.  I picked up one with a Greek yogurt base because it had the lowest fat and salt per serving.  Cheese makes everything taste better, and you have to control the impulse to do more than garnish.

When did chicken get expensive?  I've been having plant-based proteins roughly half my dinners, but went back to meat when I got the second cold.  At that point, I was trying anything to get better.  That was when I noticed how much cheaper it is to not eat meat.  What really surprised me was that chicken cost at least as much as mammal cuts.  An added incentive to anyone considering trying out vegan/vegetarian diets.

The point of this recipe is portion control, not denial.  Denying foods leads to bingeing on "cheat" days.  You should never feel like you need a cheat day.  You should enjoy foods that are good for you in proper amounts and not miss anything so much you gorge on it.

*8 C chopped Romaine lettuce
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken (either raw or canned is ok)
*1/4 C bbq sauce
1/4 C diced red onion
1 C frozen corn kernels
1 Roma tomato, diced
*2 Tb fresh cilantro leaves
1 C cooked black beans (if canned, well-rinsed)
*1 avocado, diced (I defrosted some frozen chunk avocado)
*1/4 C grated cheddar cheese
1/4 C light Ranch dressing

1.  Preheat oven to 350º if starting with raw chicken.  Coat with bbq sauce and roast until done, about 45 minutes.  For canned, drain and rinse, then toss with bbq sauce.  You can also use two cups of leftover shredded chicken from a previous meal.

2.  Simmer frozen corn for 5-8 minutes or microwave to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

3.  When chicken is done, dice or shred into a bowl and set aside until ready to assemble salad.

4.  To assemble:  Either in a salad bowl or on serving plates, portion out chopped lettuce.  Top with chicken, onion, corn, beans, tomato, and avocado.  Garnish with cilantro, cheddar, and dressing.

Difficulty rating  :) for the number of ingredients to prep